Abstract:

Article Preview

Aluminum tri-hydroxide (ATH) and montmorillonite (MMT) are capable to enhance flame retardancy of glass fiber reinforced polymer (GFRP). Nevertheless, the combination of both flame retardant fillers on changes in the mechanical properties of GFRP is not yet known. The characterization of flexural strength and scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation on GFRP composite has been done. The result of flexural properties testing shows that the addition of ATH or MMT or a combination of both on the GFRP causes a decrease in flexural strength. GFRP with increased ATH loading causes an increase in elastic modulus. Contrarily, the MMT addition causes a decrease in the elastic modulus of the GFRP composite. SEM results on the fractured samples show that the high content of ATH or MMT in the UP tends to agglomerate thus showing visible holes that were formed from the filler particles pulled out from the matrix.

Abstract: This work reports the effects of nanoclays and aluminium hydroxide (ATH) on the
thermomechanical properties of an unsaturated polyester resin. Dynamic mechanical thermal
analysis in the temperature range from 25 to 150 °C has indicated the formation of different
structures for the different clay (1, 5 and 10 wt. %) and ATH loadings (50 and 100 wt. %)
investigated. The rubbery modulus increases with nanoclay and ATH content which indicates that
both nanoclays and ATH act positively on the final network density and consequently lead to
systems showing higher stiffness at higher temperatures. The mechanical loss peak value decreases
with either nanoclay or ATH content which seems to indicate that both nanoclays and ATH
improve network density. The glass transition temperature and the mechanical loss peak value
changes linearly with ATH content.

Abstract: Low density polyethylene (LDPE) was modified by the addition of commercial fire retardants FR01 and aluminium hydroxide (ATH). ATH/FR01/LDPE composites were prepared by melt blending and extrusion in a twin-screw extruder. ATH was first modified by a silane coupling agent KH550 then added to LDPE. The flame retardancy, electrical property and thermal behavior of the LDPE composites were investigated by limiting oxygen index (LOI), volume resistivity and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), respectively. The results indicated that the surface modification of ATH (M-ATH) could greatly improve the dispersibility and compatibility with LDPE matrix. The mechanical property tests showed good mechanical properties of composite, compared with unmodified one, tensile strength and elongation of M-ATH/LDPE were all improved, and the addition of FR01 improved the flame retardancy of ATH/LDPE remarkably. TGA results demonstrate that char yield of M-ATH/FR01/LDPE (30/15/70) reaches 27 wt% at 600 °C in Ar atmosphere.

Abstract: Polymer nanocomposites containing polypropylene (PP) as the polymer matrix and nanofiller aluminium hydroxide (ATH) as the flame retardant filler were compounded with various loading of maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene, MAPP (0, 1, 2, 3, 5 wt %). All materials were mixed using melt mixing process and were further prepared using an injection moulding machine. The mechanical performances of the samples were characterized using tensile and impact tests. Improvements were observed for the tensile and impact properties of the PP/ATH samples after being loaded with MAPP. MAPP loading of 1 wt % was determined to be the optimum content of coupling agent addition as this loading enabled the best performance of the nanocomposite in tensile and impact tests. Different morphologies of the fracture surfaces for all samples were characterized using FESEM analysis.